A list of family birthdays turned out to be a $250,000 winning combination for Julia Wolley this past Friday. Wolley, who lives in the Seat Pleasant area of Prince George’s County, has a special set of numbers she had played for years. Her Mega Millions numbers, she explained to Lottery officials, are a combination of her family’s birthdays and birth years and are her “go-to numbers.” Incidentally, her own birthday was last week as well.

Ms. Wolley has played the Maryland Lottery since its inception in 1973 and it was something fun she shared with her late husband. “I use his birthday in my numbers and think of him all of the time,” she said. The proud mother and grandmother said she checks her Lottery numbers on DirectTV every week. “I checked my numbers as usual,” the lucky winner said. “I saw my numbers and started to get excited.” Wolley called for her son, Eric, and granddaughter, Iyana, to come into the room. “I knew they were my numbers but didn’t have my ticket in front of me!” Once she found her ticket and compared the numbers, she asked her son how much he thought she won. Her son Eric, who accompanied her to Lottery headquarters, continued the story: “I told her that she probably won around $100,000. I had no idea it was $250,000!” When Ms. Wolley realized that she won the $250,000 second-tier prize, she described feeling short of breath and having to sit down. Eric added, “I am happy for her, and completely shocked. What a great birthday gift for my mother.”

Julia told Lottery officials that she is “going to pay off my house, purchase a new car with cash, take care of my son and granddaughter and, if anything is left, go to Maryland Live!” She said she wished her husband would have lived to see this, although he would have told her to put the money away.

The winning ticket was sold at Best One Food Mart located at 5908 Seat Pleasant Rd. in Seat Pleasant.